Research by ActionAid International finds that IMF polices, which require low inflation rates, public spending caps and limits on foreign aid, present the biggest obstacle to attaining the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for education. The finding is in line with that of the UN report A practical plan to achieve the MDGs led by economist Jeffrey Sachs: “In the vast number of country programmes supported by the IMF since the adoption of the goals, there has been almost no discussion about whether the plans are consistent with achieving [the MDGs]”. ActionAid is researching how governments can increase spending to meet the education and gender MDGs.

To contribute to the education research contact David Archer.